Red Oak is America's most popular wood floor choice!It is the benchmark for strength serving as the industry standard of hardness with a Janka hardness rating or 1,290. Its reddish-brown color tones give rooms of any style - from rustic to contemporary - a warm and cozy feeling. Red Oak will retain its beauty through years of wear and is almost unaffected upon sunlight exposure.

What is "Natural Grade"?Natural Grade has some color variation, mineral coloring and small knots. It can also be referred to as #1 or 2nd grade.

Please note unfinished flooring is sold in open, strapped bundles and not sold in boxes. This product must be purchased in bundles. Bundle size may vary.

Don't forget the molding and stair treads!Click here to find our extensive selection of Moldings & Accessories for you to match wood species to your new floor.(Who else can do that?)

When I went with Natural instead of Select, I expected some knots and heartwood. I did not expect so many of the pieces had worm holes in them. Even worse, the pieces were not well sanded still showing saw marks. I had to spend alot of time sanding the pieces otherwise the saw marks would have attracted stain.

Price is decent, but they don't tell you that the bundles are made up of mostly short board lengths. When you lift up the bundles, they fall apart, because there are no long boards to keep them together. Also, it was very hard to get the tongue and groove to go together.I was also shorted on quantity, but they did give me the bundles I needed for no cost.

I HAD NEVER DONE ANY SORT OF WOOD FLOORING BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS PROJECT. IT WENT DOWN EASY WITH NO PROBLEMS AND IT LOOKS FANTASTIC! FINISHING IT WAS A PIECE OF CAKE. THE PRODUCT IS OF GOOD QUALITY, THE PRICE WAS TERRIFIC AND THE SERVICE WAS VERY QUICK. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THE EXPERIENCE.

I was supplementing wood that I had pulled up from an existing floor. The original floor was very rustic, had a rough and very dark finish. When the finish was removed from the old floor, we realized that there was a combination of red and white oak. The unfinished red oak that we got from LL fit perfectly because we had staggered it's use. We used a grey stain (Minwax - Driftwood) to blend the various colors together. The result is a beautiful and totally unique look to my dining room floor. I am very happy with the outcome.

I would recommend a penetrating oil finish for this application that can be easily maintained & refreshed as required without having to re-sand & finish when it becomes worn.Thank you for your inquiry.

Answered on 7/10/2015 by cc-2

Q:

Do we need to sand and smooth it down after installed and before we stain it?

Generally unfinished flooring needs to be sanded so all joining boards are even and smooth. Then finishing can begin. Our installation service company HSS installs but at this time does not finish unfinished flooring. They can recommend a finisher or; Go to WWW.NWFACP.ORG and click on sand and finisher and then type in a zip code or city/state. These are NWFA certified installers and finishers. As with any company you should check their credentials before hiring.

Answered on 10/26/2011 by Tech & Install

Q:

How long does this unfinished oak have to sit in the house before we install it? also, can you reccomend a sturdy polyurathene to put on this wood? we will not be staining it, or sanding it....just putting a few coats of poly on it. THANKS!

ACCLIMATION/CONDITIONING THE FLOORING -SEE MOISTUREAll wood products are affected by environmental conditions especially prefinished materials. Acclimate the new flooring in the areas to be installed to normal lived-in conditions while in the boxes. Length of time is not the determining factor. The goal is to reach a moisture equilibrium or balance between the new flooring with its surroundings before installation. This balance could be achieved in as little as 1 to 5 days, or longer for some exotic species. For best performance, condition the flooring to consistent indoor temperatures of 60°-80° F and indoor humidity levels of 30% - 50%. Very dry or humid regions usually require extended conditioning. Recommended acclimation levels maintained even after the installation will minimize board movement, excessive squeaks and gaps.Proper acclimation, moisture testing of the product and subfloor, even jobsite conditions all work together for the continued success of the installation and is the responsibility of those overseeing the project -the installer or wood floor owner.You can find complete installation instructions on the product page by clicking on the specs tab and then clicking on - Installation Guide.pdfThank you for your question.